Heating system



lill: il*` UNirE-D STATES PATENT OFFICE.

:EDWARD RGOLD, or NEW YORK,r N. Y., AssIGNoR ToGoL-D CAR HEATING a LIGHT- ING COMPANY, or BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, A CORPQRATION Yor NEWv YORK.

HEATING SYSTEM. l

.Application filed October 10, 1922. Serial No.y 593,580.

T0 all whom t may concern:

Be vit known that I, EDWARD E. GOLD, a citizen ot the United Statesof America, residing inthe 'borough of Manhattan, city, county, and State of New York, have invented certain new anduseiiul Improvements in Heating Systems, of which thefollowingy is a specification. n

This invention .relates rto. improvements in thermostatically controlled heating systems and is well adapted for kuse in the heating of railway cars, although it is equally applicable for hea-ting of rooms or chambers in other structures. It is an objectl of the invention to provide ,thermostatic regulating means for a heat radiator in which the thermostat or thermostats and the valve controlled thereby may be located vat the most effectiveV points considered 'from the standpoint of convenience and economy irre.- spectiveot Vtheir relative positions and irrespective of the distance by which they ma be separated each Jfrom the other. p

The improvement of the present invention is applicable toradiators operating in a'ccordance with the well known vapor system in which the steam in the .radiator is maintained substantially at atmospheric pressure or to radiators in which the steam is main# tained at a predetermined-pressurefmaterially above that of vthe atmosphere. The improvements are also applicable tosystems in which the regulation may be readily converted so as to be operative either at vapor pressure or at a pressure materiallyv above atmospheric at will.

The invention also comprises thermostatic means whereby the` radiator admission Ivalve may be alternately opened and closed as the pressur-e in the radiator respectively falls below or exceeds a predetermined pressure above that ot the atmospherel which it is desired to have maintained therein, and this pressure may be maintained at a point materially below `that in the feed Apipe from which the radiator is supplied.

The invention also comprises an improved thermostat in which the thermomotiveele-V ment and the electric switch to be operated thereby are all enclosed so as to be shielded from the direct action of the steam or other heating fluid with which the radiator is supplied and these parts are all readily detachable from the radiator and from each otherY to. ,lapsed and the electric switch open. ,Y

to `facilitate the Arenewal of surrounding parts and repairsl. Y -I f v lReferring to the drawings illustra/ting the preferredevi'ormot the invention:

Figure ,lgisha conventionalor diagram--v matic view in perspective of aiadiatorwith the injiproved thermostatic controllingrdevice attached'.

Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinalsection through a ,pipef fitting connected with I the radiator and the thermostat connected there- This view shows the thermostat col- Fig. 3 .isa section through a part of the same fitting and the connected thermostatl showing the thermostat expanded and the switch closed.

Fig. l illustrates conventionally the invenf tionasapplied to the steam vheating' system of a railway car, although certain features of the inventonswould beequally yapplicable to hot water heating systems and to systems for use inpermanent buildings and ,other structures.` Inthe diagram referred to 20 designates a radiator whichmay. be supplied with steam from va train pipe V21, the admission being controlled by ,an electrically operatedvalvej22. y

The piping'of theradiator is lpreferably inclined so. as to carry the water o'trcondensation tonan outletx23 which Amay if desired bebranched, onebranch 24 being provided/with atrap 25-to discharge water ot condensation through a drip pipe .26 and the other branc'hl27 leading to a Ventilating and drip horn '28. i

Ay thermostat may be located in the pipe itting 30 yby which the drip horn is connected to the out-` let branch 27 and the valveBl may be included in the branch 27 between the radiator and the thermostat. A- second thermostat 32 mayr if desired'be placed in the fitting which connects the outlet with the branchl permanently out off Jfrom the train pip-e when desired. p

The thermostats 29 and 32 may be 'con'- nected in'mulrtiple with each other and each with the electrically.operated-valve 22 and 29,.ihereinafter de`scribed',.

a source of electric energy 34, as indicated, and a thermostat 35 sensitive to the temperature in the car or other chamber tol be heated may also be connected in multiple with the thermostats 29 and 32, as indicated.

The electrically operated valve 22 may be either of the electromagnetic type, one form of which is disclosed in applicants prior Patent No. 1,167,815, 1dated January 1l, 1916, or of the thermo-electric type, an example of which is disclosed in applicants prior Patent No. 1,337,764, dated April 20, 1920. This valve need not be specifically described as it constitutes of itself no part of the invention herein claimed. It is Sullicient to say that in the form herein illustrated the valve is normally open for the admission of steam except when the electric circuit is closed by a thermostat at which time the valve is caused to be closed.

The thermostat 35 may be of any appro-l priate type adapted to close the electric circuit in which it is included when the surrounding air exceeds a predetermined temperature. Under normal conditions this thermostat may be designed so as to alternately open and close its circuit as the temperature of the room falls below or exceeds If desired, however, any other tem-P perature may be selected as the critical tem.- perature and an adjustable thermostat may be employed so that the critical temperature may be varied at will.

The thermostat 29 may be of any appropriate type adapted to be actuated so as to close a switch whenever steam at atmospheric pressure passes from the branch outlet 27 to the drip horn 28. It should, thereJI fore, be sensitive to the temperature of steam at atmospheric pressure. Any suitable switch may be employed as a part of the thermostate but the switch should preferably be of the snap action type in order that the circuit can be quickly opened or closed at each operation of the thermostat.

One form of the thermostat is illustrated in Fig. 2 and comprises a sylphon or other appropriate form of a thermomotor 3.6 operatively connected with an elect-ric switch designated generally 37.

The thermomotor 36 in the form herein disclosed comprises an expansible vessel having heads 38, 39 connected by a deeply corrugated outer wall 40, the head 38 being recessed as at 41 to receive a cylindrical pro-l jection 42 projecting from the center of a piston 43 connected by a piston rod 44 with the movable element of the switch 37. This thermometer will be normally collapsed, as indicated in Fig. 2, but will have hermetically sealed therein a sufficient quantity of alcohol, ethyl-chlorid, or other volatile fluid to cause the vessel to be expanded, as indicated in Fig. 3, at the temperature to which the contents of said vessel will be raised when steam at atmospheric pressure is brought in contact with the housing 45 in which the thermomotor is contained.

The electric switch 37 may comprise resilient contacting members 46, 47 mounted in a block of suitable insulating material 48 which may be clamped between a cap 49 and a switch housing 50 in threaded connection with the fitting 51 to which the thermostat is connected. The movable element of the switch may comprise an insulator 52 threaded on the end of the piston rod 44 and carrying a contact ring 53 which may be threaded to said insulator.

Conductors 54, 55 may be passed through an opening 56 and connected respectively with the contacts 46, 47 by means of binding posts or other suitable fastening devices 57 by which the contact elements may also be secured to the insulating block '48. Preferably the cap 49 and switch housing 50 will be lined with suitable insulating material, as indicated at 58, 59, 60.

The housing 45 may have a threaded connection with the switch housing 50 and will preferably be cylindrical in form conforming in internal diameter with the diameter of the piston 43 so as to constitute a guide therefor and a spring 61 enclosed within said housing 45 between the piston 43 and the wall 62 of the switch housing normally tends to return and maintain the switch in the position indicated in Fig. 2 when the thermomotor is collapsed.

The depth of the grooves in the insulator 52 and Contact ring 53, and the stiffness of the contact elements 46, 47 will be so proportioned ,that the switch will not respond immediately to increase of vpressure in the thermomotor but will offer suliicient resistance to permit the pressure to accumulate so that when a movement of the switch is once initiated it will be quickly completed. ln like manner after the switch lhas been moved to the position indicated in Fig. 3 it will not immediat-ely return upon decrease of pressure in the thermomotor but will sufiiciently oppose the force exerted by the spring 61 to slightly retard its action so that when the return movement is once initiated it will be quickly completed.

The thermostat 32 differs from thermostat 29 heretofore described only in that it is sensitive for reasonshereinafter explained to steam at a somewhat higher temperature than that of steam at atmospheric pressure. The thermostat 29, as heretofore explained, closes its switch when subjected to the temperature of steam at atmospheric pressure. rlhe thermostat 32 on the contrary will be so designed as to respond and cause its switch to be closed at a temperature corresponding to the temperature of steam at any desired pressure above that of the atmosphere which it is desired to maintain in the radiator, as for example ten pounds. F or this reason the thermostat 32 may be designated herein a high temperature thermostat as distinguished from the thermostat 29.

The trap may be of any suitable type adapted to discharge water of condensation under the steam pressure which it'is desired to maintain in the radiator. A suitable trap for this purpose is disclosed in applicants prior Patent No. 507 ,268, dated October 24, 1893. It is unnecessary to describe this trap here other than to state that it comprises a thermostatically.operated valve which is caused to open as a result of the lowerin g of the temperature when water of condensation accumulates at theend of the pipe to which the trap is connected. As soon as the condensed water is discharged the teinperature of the steam causes the thermostat to close the valve. In this manner the radiator is kept freerfromjwater of condensai tion but the escape or' steam is prevented.

lVhen the device is applied Ito a railway car any desired parts kmay be placed below the floor, indicated diagrammatically at 63. In the present instance the train pipe, trap, valve 31, itting 30, drip horn 28 and immediate connected parts are placed below the Hoor, the spindle of the valve 31 being extended up through the floor and terminating in a hand wheel 64 for operation within the car. The valves 22 and 33 are herein disclosed as being placed above the floor but these might also, if desired, be

a placed underneath the car.

It will now be apparent that the above described apparatus is adapted for operation either at vapor pressure, that is at the pressure or" the atmosphere, or at a pressure materially above that of the atmosphere, the device being readily convertible from one type to the other.

Assuming' the valve 31 to be open the device will operate at atmospheric pressure in the following manner: On opening the valve 33 steam will be admitted to the radiator through the normally open valve 22. vWhen the radiator is iilled with steam it will seek an outlet by means of the pipe 23, branch 27, tting 30 and drip horn 28 thereby being brought into contact with the housing of the thermostat 29. As this thermostat is sensitive to steam at atmospheric pressure it will immediately cause the switch 37 to be closed thereby causing the valve 22 to close and prevent further admission of steam. As the temperature at the outlet of the radiator decreases as a result of the condensation of steam the thermostat will cause the switch 37 to be opened thereby permitting the valve 22 to open and admit more steam to the radiator'. This process is continuous so long as it is desired to operate the radiator under steam at atmospheric pressure.

lit it is desired to operate the radiator under steam at a pressure above that of the atmosphere the valve 31 will be closed after which the water of condensation .will be discharged from the radiator by means of the trap 25. By closing the valve 31 the thermostat 29 will be isolated and will have no fur-her eii'ect upon the operation of ,the device.

lr" it is desired toy supply the radiator with steam at a pressure above that-of the atmosphere but lower than the pressure of steam in the train pipe, the thermostat32 may be used in combinationwith the valve 22 .as ra pressure reducing means between the train pipe and the radiator. I Under Asuch circumstances v-:hen the steam in the radiator vattains the pressure corresponding to the temperature to whichthe thermostat 32 is sensitive it will close its switch and cause the valve 22 to prevent further admission of steam. l/Yhen the pressure in the radiator Yfalls below that corresponding to the critical temperature at which the thermostat 32 responds, the switch will be opened and more steam will be supplied by the valve 22. l Y The .thermostat 35 may be used in combination with other parts of the above described apparatus whether operated at atmospheric pressure or at a greater pressure. In either instance the thermostat 35 will be caused to close its switch when the temperature of the air in the heated chamber is caused to exceed the critical temperature of the thermostat This will cause the valve 22 to be closed and no further steam will be admitted to the radiator irrespective of the condition of the other parts of the device until the temperature of the air in the chamber again falls below the critical temperature of the thermostat 35.

YIt desired the electrical connection between the source of energy 34 and the valve 22 may include an electric switch 65, which may be opened when the device is not in use.

What I claim is:

1. The combination with a steam radiator having an electrically operated steam admission valve, and a trapped outleteli'ective at a predetermined pressure to discharge water of condensation without permitting the escape of steam, of a second outlet connection normally open to atmosphere, a thermostat in said connection, said thermostat being sensitive to the temperature of steam at atmospheric pressure, an electric circuit connecting said thermostat and said valve with a source of energy, whereby the opening and closing of said valve may be controlled by said thermostat, and a valve in said connection between said thermostat and said radiator whereby on closing said last mentioned valve the thermostat will be rendered ineffective and steam may be maintained in said radiator at a pressure above that ot atmosphere.

2. The combination defined by claim 1, further characterized in that the radiator has a branched outlet connection, one branch of said connection leading to the trapped outlet and the other to the outlet normally open to atmosphere.

.3. The combination dened by claim l having a high temperature thermostat connected with said radiator atv any point between the inlet Valve and the trap, said high temperature thermostat being,` sensitive to the temperature of steam at the pressure to be maintained in said radiator When the Valved outlet is closed, said thermostat being electrically connected with said steam admission valve whereby said admission valve Will be alternately opened when the pressure falls below normal and closed when the pressure is restored.

4. r)The combination, with a steam radiator having an electrically operated admission Valve, an outlet, and a trap in said outlet, of a thermostat connected With said radiator at a point between said valve and said trap, said thermostat being sensitive to the temperature or' steam at a predetermined pressure at which the trap is operative to free the radiator of rWater of condensation, and an electric circuit connecting;` said thermostat and said valve with a source of energy whereby said Valve may be alternately opened and closed as the pressure in said radiator falls below or exceeds said predetermined pressure.

5. The combination, With a steam radiator having an electrically operated admission Valve, an outlet, and a trap in said outlet, of a thermostat connected with said outlet at a point between said radiator and said trap, said thermostat being` sensitive to the temperature of steam at a predetermined pressure at Which the trap is operative to free the radiator of VWater of condensation, and an electric circuit connecting said thermostat and said Valve with a source otenergy whereby said Valve may be alternately opened and closed as the pressure in said radiator falls belou7 or leX- ceeds said predetermined pressure.

in Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

EDVARD E. GOLD. 

